For ports as a major goods hub for Germany as an export nation, intact and efficient transport infrastructures are essential. This applies in particular to the road network, which has to serve an ever-increasing demand. Construction measures have only a limited possibility to increase the capacity of roads, as they are usually time-consuming and an expansion of traffic areas is often in conflict with other land uses. In contrast, digitalisation focuses on operational and organisational measures to improve the flow of traffic on roads.
As part of a cooperation between the Hamburg test track for automated and connected driving (TAVF) and the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), the inner-city TAVF test track is being extended towards the Port of Hamburg. With the extension, new traffic scenarios in the area of road goods traffic in the hinterland of the Port of Hamburg will be realised and tested in addition to urban traffic scenarios, such as the protection of vulnerable road users as well as public transport and special emergency vehicle prioritisation, among others. The test area will be extended by twelve traffic signals from the port area.
The extension of the test area to the Port of Hamburg makes it possible to investigate different operational and organisational measures to improve traffic flow in the port, especially for road freight traffic. Efficiency potentials can be quantified from the results if autonomous trucks will be driving at the port in the future.